Debra J.

Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. February 27, 1991
(Phone: 202/453-8455)

RELEASE: 91-34

U.S. AND CANADA SIGN RADARSAT EARTH OBSERVATION

AGREEMENT

The United States and Canada have agreed to participate in a 5-year

RADARSAT Earth observation satellite mission. The agreement was
signed today in Washington, D.C., by NASA Administrator Richard H.
Truly, Dr. John A. Knauss, Undersecretary of Commerce and
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and Dr. Larkin Kerwin,President of the Canadian Space Agency
(CSA). RADARSAT is currently manifested for launch in June 1994 using
a medium class expendable launch vehicle provided by NASA.

Through sophisticated new technologies, the Canadian-provided

satellite, RADARSAT, will collect valuable economic and scientific data
on ice and ocean surveillance and natural resource management,
leading to an enhancement in understanding of global change. The
satellite's synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will be able to penetrate cloud
cover and darkness, scanning the Earth in swaths varying from 50 to 500
km.

The SAR will produce high-resolution (10 to 100 meters pixel size)
images of the Earth's surface and be used in the first year-round
monitoring of conditions along arctic sea routes. The SAR also will
provide the first comprehensive map of the Antarctic continental ice
sheet. In addition, the SAR's sensitivity to soil moisture and vegetation
will provide valuable data useful for crop assessment and forest
operations. The satellite also will be used for surveillance of natural
disasters including floods, drought, forest fires and other such
phenomena.

NASA will provide medium class expendable launch vehicle services

and tracking and data acquistion support for the satellite. In exchange,
the United States will receive access to the SAR data. NASA will have
full research access and NOAA will obtaindata for itself and facilitate
research and operational access for other U.S. Government agencies.
NOAA also will ensure that the U.S. private sector has an adequate
opportunity to participate in distribution rights to this data.
 - end -

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DATE & TIME: FEBRUARY 27, 1991

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